Blog

Having worked in the flexo printed packaging industry for 16 years I have witnessed huge advances in quality both in terms of the complexity of designs that can be achieved and the consistency of print quality.

It is true, in part that print quality has been improved by advances in technology and Chadwicks have invested heavily in this area in recent years improving equipment and machinery, however to get the best out of technology requires robust processes and procedures and highly skilled and motivated personnel.

Customers quite rightly expect and demand products that meet all of their requirements, they want products that work, look right and are delivered to them on time and in full - every time!

To survive and thrive in the printed packaging market we understand quality is a key deliverable and one in which our excellent performance sets us apart from our competition.

However, high quality is no accident; there are many factors that must be considered in order to build and sustain a “Right First Time” culture that consistently delivers high quality products to our customers.

The below diagram presents a holistic view of the factors that must be considered, controlled and optimised in order to achieve consistently high quality.

We developed and use this model in training and to formulate our plans in building and improving our quality culture. In the early years it wasn’t easy, there are set-backs from time to time; the important thing is getting to the root cause of problems, learning from mistakes and working hard with a constancy of purpose.

To support our quality programme Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury holds Certification to the BRC Global Standard for Packaging; in addition we achieved Certification to ISO 9001 (Quality management systems – requirements) and PS 9000 in 2013. PS 9000 specifies GMP requirements and guidance within a quality management system (QMS) for suppliers of packaging materials and origination/artwork to the pharmaceutical industry.

Achieving and maintaining these exacting standards required a root and branch review of all of our processes and procedures and the refinements implemented have elevated our quality systems to the next level. Internally we set our own very high standards of performance, but we feel it is vitally important to have a regular rigorous independent evaluation of our quality system and that’s what we get from our Certification partner Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA).

At Clondalkin Flexible Packaging Bury we are proud of our achievements in quality improvement and our customers can be assured we produce their products with the upmost care and attention.